SWIMMING POOLS
Ready To Take The Plunge?

With summer now in full force, I thought this might be the ideal time to bring up the subject of swimming pools. Of course, this being Southern California a majority of my clients already have pools, but for those of you who don't and are considering putting in an in-ground pool (above-ground pools I'll leave to the vendors), here are some things to consider.

Make A Plan

Adding an in-ground pool is not only a major expenditure, it's time consuming and will disrupt you, your yard and your life. It is a permanent feature of your home and will be an important consideration should you ever decide to sell. So if you're serious about taking it on, the first step is to review the following and make a plan:

Choosing The Site: take into consideration it's orientation to your home – exits – decks - windows, the view, the sun, the trees, existing hardscape, accessibility for construction equipment, the type of soil and the slope of the land

Create A Budget: create a realistic budget detailing all of your desired features and what you think they might cost

Review Building Codes: while the details of your community's building codes should be left to your contractor, it would be wise to get a general understanding of what the codes cover and how they might impact the construction and cost

Consider Pool Usage: how is the pool is to be used in descending order or importance and who will be using it: entertaining, exercise, ornamental, age of children

Understand Financial Considerations: in addition to the cost of construction there is on-going pool maintenance (are you going to do it or hire a pool service professional) and insurance, both for you and the contractor during construction, and the possibility of on-going liability and damage insurance

Designing Your Pool

Once you have a rough idea of all that will be involved in building the pool, the fun part can begin – designing the pool and the poolscape, which should include the decking/surface, any water features, spa, hardscape/patio/pergola and pool house.

You can have a pool designed to almost any shape you can imagine, but, needless to say, the weirder the shape the more expensive it will be to build. Here are what might be considered relatively standard designs that can be tailored to your site and landscape:

Custom

Grecian

Oval

Kidney

Roman

L-Shaped

Figure 8

Lazy L

Round

Aesthetic Enhancements

Without taking into consideration the multitude of hardscape that can be built to accompany a pool (spas, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, built in seating and tables), the pool itself can include a number of water features and a wide variety of decking.

Water Features

Waterfall

Deck Jets

Fountain Bubblers

Water Slide

Lamar Jets

Vanishing Edge

Decking

Poured Concrete

Decorative Concrete

Stone

Pavers

Choose a Professional Builder

As you can see from everything that goes in to creating a well designed pool, there are countless choices that will have to be made in order to turn your dream into a reality. Without question, the single most important choice that you will make will be choosing the contractor.

It is essential when selecting a professional pool contractor to do your research. You should talk to at least three builders and receive written estimates. When interviewing these potential builders, determine the number of years they have been in business, ensure that they are bonded and insured, visit their work firsthand, ask to speak to at least three recent clients, and determine if they subcontract the work or use their own staff.

Cost Of An In ground Pool

How much does it cost to build an in ground pool? Like everything in life, it comes down to the details: your location, type of pool, size of pool, added features, etc. There is truly no simple answer.

In general, you can expect to pay anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 for your swimming pool before adding features and extras. This is assuming an AVERAGE pool size, in an AVERAGE city with the AVERAGE cost of living, extras and materials. However, the most accurate way to get an answer to that question is to get a quote from a landscape designer or specialized pool contractor.

Garden Consultation & Gift Certificates

If you're interested in learning more about our design, contracting and maintenance services and would like to set up a phone consultation or arrange a site inspection, please fill out our Contact Information Form and I'll be in touch.

I am also pleased to offer Garden Of Eva Gift Certificates for those of you who would like to provide a truly unique, thoughtful and very special gift—suitable for holiday giving or for any special occasion. There are three levels of Certificates, depending on the scope of the work involved. If you'd like to see what's being offered, please CLICK HERE.